06 July, 2008

Category Archives: Chris Bourque

Washington Capitals’ Top Prospects, Spring 2008

By pucksandbooks
Monday, May 5, 2008

Continuing an OFB tradition, we present our rankings of the Capitals’ prospects at the conclusion of the hockey season. Many of the names below you’ll have a chance to see at Kettler Capitals Iceplex this July, for Development Camp (July 7-12). What’s the lead storyline among the futures holdings? Gotta be the arrival of one of the best young hockey players in Western Canada, Karl Alzner — one of the best young players in Canada or anywhere else, for that matter. If he has a strong training camp come September he’ll bypass the American League this fall and begin his NHL career fresh from an awards-rich CHL career.

Another gleaning: that a Q-league scoring champ and MVP can’t crack the top 10 of an organization’s prospect rankings. That tells us that Ross Mahoney and his stable of scouts the globe over are getting it done.

Name Draft Class ‘07-’08 Club The skinny
Karl Alzner, D ‘07, 1st Rd. Calgary (WHL) WHL Player of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, CHL MVP Finalist. Any questions?
Simeon Varlamov, G ‘06, 1st Rd. Lokomotiv (RSL) Excellent RSL regular season stats, then, in the postseason, sublime: 16 games, 1.56 GA, five shutouts. Welcome to North American professional hockey, Simeon.
Sami Lepisto, D ‘04, 3rd Rd. Hershey Bears So much for struggle in a rookie pro season in North America: 45 pts. in 55 Bears’ games, and a +29. A Tier I candidate for promotion to the parent club in the fall.
Andrew Gordon, RW ‘04, 7th Rd. South Carolina (ECHL); Hershey Fought through early-season demotion, matured into reliable two-way, impact forward. Two hat tricks in his American League rookie season. Bright, bright future.
Chris Bourque, LW ‘04, 2nd Rd. Hershey Bears Bears’ MVP; became a top performer in the American League the final month of the season; ready to stake his claim to a lasting promotion.
Josef Boumedienne, D acquired from Ottawa, Dec. 2002 Hershey Bears Injury-marred ‘07-’08 campaign, but still posted 7 & 35 in 52 games, and a +18; less a prospect and more a quality depth signee; draft day trade bait?
Kyle Wilson, C Signed as a free agent, July 2007 Hershey Bears Only Bear to play in every regular season game; nearly a point-per-game performer through two American League seasons.
Jay Beagle, C Signed with Washington in March 2008 Hershey Bears Diamond in the rough? Big-bodied, mobile, and fancies the contact game; one goal shy of 20 in his freshman AHL campaign.
Francois Bouchard, RW ‘06, 2nd Rd. Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) Strong but unspectacular ‘07-’08 campaign; much improved skater; needs AHL seasoning.
Joe Finley, D ‘05, 1st Rd. North Dakota (WCHA) Enjoyed third straight season of statistical improvement — and ‘07-’08’s numbers included a conspicuous spike in offensive production; a team-leading +24; still magnificently mean and nasty.
Josh Godfrey, D ‘07, 2nd Rd. Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 17 & 34 , +31, in 60 Greyhound games; Western Conference All Star; Team Canada WJC selection; time for pro hockey.
Michal Neuvirth, G ‘06, 2nd Rd. Windsor, Oshawa (OHL) More prime-time performing: 7-2 for the Generals with a 2.48 GA, .932 SP this postseason; led Plymouth to the Memorial Cup last spring; time for pro hockey — South Carolina or Hershey?
Mathieu Perreault, C ‘06, 6th Rd. Acadie Bathurst 2007 Q MVP, 2008 Q scoring champ; nothing left to dominate in major juniors; time for pro hockey.
Oskar Osala, LW ‘06, 4th Rd. Espoo Blues (Fin) Returning to Europe to advance his development, Osala put up impressive numbers in Finland’s top pro league: 18 & 17 and a + 12 in 53 games; will be interesting to see what’s in store for him in ‘08-’09.
Daren Machesney, G ‘05, 5th Rd. Hershey Bears Exceeding expectations — everyone’s — was the story of “Cheese’s” season. He got in 38 games with Hershey and went 22-10 with a 2.55 goals-against. He’s on track to be an elite goaltender in the American League; question is, with what Washington has arriving this summer in goal, is there room in the organization for Cheese?
Andrew Joudrey, C ‘03, 8th Rd. Hershey Bears Solid first full pro season, often centering another prized Caps’ NCAA prospect, Andrew Gordon; strong on his skates, superb hockey sense, makes smart plays.
Stephen Werner ‘03, 3rd Rd. South Carolina, Hershey Remains a longshot to see anything but a cup of coffee in the bigs. But his game matured in ‘07-’08. Skated a +4 for the Bears in just 8 games. Does have a pro stride.
Travis Morin, C ‘04, 9th Rd. South Carolina Big, big numbers for the Stingray pivot: 34 & 50 in 68 games, including 14 power play markers; still has issues with skating and strength at the pro level.
Patrick McNeill, D ‘05, 4th Rd. South Carolina, Hershey Split time between Carolina and Hershey this season; he’s undersized but not physically overmatched in the A; should enjoy a full year with the Bears in ‘08-’09.
Oscar Hedman, D ‘04, 5th Rd. Modo (Swe.) A top-4 pairing blueliner who by the age of 22 had completed five seasons in the Swedish Elite League. Though I’ve seen only glimpses of him in WJC play, I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to have two Oscars in my table. Should Osala and he connect on a scoring play in a game with the Caps, it’d be the first Oskar-from-Oscar feat in NHL history. I really want that.
Filed in American Hockey League, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Daren Machesney, Francois Bouchard, Hershey Bears, Jay Beagle, Joe Finley, Josh Godfrey, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, Prospects, Russia, Sami Lepisto, Simeon Varlamov, Travis Morin, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (17)

Bears with Near-Term Promise

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Hershey Bears in Capitals Colors - photo by Sean Simmers of the Patriot News
Hershey Bears in Capitals Colors - photo by Sean Simmers of the Patriot News
I surveyed some keen hockey observers in the Hershey community the past couple of days to see if they could help me identify the names of two or three Bears whose regular season performances in 2007-08 ought to have Caps’ fans excited about their arrival at fall training camp, as contenders for roster spots with the parent club. I found them all right.

Chris Bourque was recently named Hershey’s team MVP. In what may have been a make-or-break season for him, CBourque put an exclamation point on his prospect candidacy with a late-season explosion: 8 goals and 7 assists in his final eight games. On the season, CBourque tallied 28 goals and 35 assists for 63 points in 73 games –nearly a point a game in an exceptionally patchwork Bears’ lineup. Line chemistry was not a storyline in this Hershey season: another week or two of regular season and about 50 hockey players would have donned maroon sweaters. CBourque is a left-shooting left wing, but with Matt Pettinger’s departure and some uncertainty on left side after the Alexes heading into the summer, the 2004 second-rounder should be a contender for the left side of the third line come fall.

Caps’ fans by now know a bit of the promise packaged in rearguard Sami Lepisto. Injuries and recalls to D.C. limited Lepisto to 55 games in Hershey, but he made an impact in just about every one of them: 4 goals and 41 assists to lead all Bears’ blueliners in scoring. At the time of his April 9 recall, Lepisto was lodged in the top 5 of AHL defensemen in scoring and finished his American League rookie season a stellar +29. In 2004 Lepisto was named the IIHF World Junior Championship’s Outstanding Defenseman and was selected to the All Tournament team. He’s modest in size ( 5′11, 180) but heady and mobile and a superb passer. A third-round selection by the Caps in the team’s remarkable 2004 draft, Lepisto’s stint in the A may be but a single season.

Last spring Caps’ General Manager George McPhee told me that he thought newly signed center/winger Andrew Gordon’s stay in the American League might also be a brief one. A year later, that forecast appears accurate. Early in the season Gordon struggled with the transition from college hockey straight into the American League, but his demotion to South Carolina didn’t last long. In his first pro season he recorded a pair of hat tricks in Hershey en route to 16 goals and 35 assists in 58 games, skating a +22 in the process. A right-handed shot, Gordon seemed to settle in on the right side, often alongside another NCAA draftee, 2003 8th-rounder Andrew Joudrey. Gordon is a brilliant skater with excellent vision, a scorer’s hands, and a nose for the net.

I asked my American Hockey League experts up north to identify a bit of a darkhorse prospect for Caps’ training camp come fall, and center Jay Beagle was a consensus selection. The Caps inked Beagle to a two-year contract just last month, so it’s clear that management sees potential in him. The 6′3, 200-lb. Calgary native spent two seasons skating with Alaska-Anchorage in the WCHA, got a cup of coffee with Idaho in the ECHL, and was an invitee to the Caps’ development camp last July, where he impressed. Beagle scored 19 goals and 18 assists in 64 games with the Bears this season and was lauded for his physical presence and all-around game.

Another Bear most worth regular season ending praise is Head Coach Bob Woods, who took over for the promoted-to-the-parent-club-Caps Bruce Boudreau at Thanksgiving. Woods won 33 games behind the bench after Thanksgiving and did so presiding over a veritable M*A*S*H unit in the process. I highly recommend the overview of Woodsie’s bench work authored this week by Bears’ radio voice John Walton, who makes the case for Woods’ winning the A’s Coach of the Year award.

Filed in American Hockey League, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Jay Beagle, Prospects, Sami Lepisto, Training Camp, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (10)

Playoff Hockey at Giant Center, Too: Bears Are in

By pucksandbooks
Sunday, April 13, 2008


Last night at Giant Center the Hershey Bears fell behind 2-0 to the Philadelphia Phantoms. The game’s next 5 goals were all Hershey’s — two from the stick of rookie Andrew Gordon — as the Bears beat Philly for the second night in a row. In so doing, the Bears earned the East division’s fourth and final playoff spot.

The Hershey Bears, the Patriot News’ Tim Leone wrote last night, “certainly didn’t back into the Calder Cup playoffs tonight at Giant Center. They barged in swinging.”

The Bears will open the postseason this Wednesday night against Wilkes Barre-Scranton. The Phantoms had been lodged in first place in the East for much of the American League season but fell one point shy of the Penguins for the division title. Philly will face Albany in the East’s other semifinal.

Update: Take a gander at Chris Bourque’s work the past seven games: 8 goals, 7 assists, and a +8.

Filed in American Hockey League, Calder Cup, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (0)

Move Over Ovie: Chris Bourque Pots 4 for Hershey Saturday Night

By pucksandbooks
Sunday, March 30, 2008

“During his rookie season, Chris Bourque suffered a concussion on a hit by Hamilton Bulldog Johnathan Aitken at Copps Coliseum on Oct. 30, 2005 . . . It was Bourque’s turn to deliver the headache Saturday night,” Tim Leone wrote in the Patriot News this morning.

Bourque scored 4 goals in Hershey’s 5-2 win over Hamilton at Giant Center last night. He became the first Bear to score four in a game since Len Barrie in October 1992. He now has 24 goals on the season.

The fourth-place Bears now hold a 4-point lead over Binghamton for the final playoff spot in the East division. Both teams have seven games remaining. The Bears are back at it today against Manchester in a 5:00 start at Giant Center.

Filed in American Hockey League, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (6)

Bears Beat Baby Pens 3-1

By The OFB Team
Sunday, January 20, 2008

Hershey Bears Logo
Hershey Bears Logo
In what is a hopeful foreshadowing of Monday night’s Igloo visit by the Capitals, the Hersey Bears beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Baby Pens 3 to 1. Joe Motzko scored the game winner with Chris Bourque notching two assists.

With the win, the Bears climbed into a second place tie in the East Division standings with 50 points. Also with 50 points in the East Division are the Albany River Rats and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Philadelphia Phantoms lead the division with 58 points.

Filed in American Hockey League, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears| Permalink| Comments (2)

Hockey Night in Hershey: Blogging on Reassignment

By Troublemaker
Saturday, January 12, 2008

I’m a blogger banished to the American League on a behavioral conditioning assignment. As banishments go, Hershey’s hardly a hardship. If you’ve read this blog for three months, you know of my affinity for this community, its state-of-the-art rink, the quality people surrounding the team, and its unrivaled hockey heritage.

There’s a lot more to recommend this visit. This Hershey Bears’ club, which a month into the season appeared to be in rebuilding mode, is today 21-14-0-2. They’re nine points back of first-place Philly but just three points back of Wilkes Barre for second. The Bears lost last night in Wilkes Barre 3-1, where BJ apparently stood on his head to keep the game close. No wonder he got called back to D.C. so fast. Anyway, big-time turnaround going on here. Sound familiar?

It’s also the first-ever visit to Giant Center by the first-year Lake Erie Monsters. That’s historical, not in an alert the National Archives sense, but quirky novel enough as inducement for me to drive up on a January Saturday night with the Caps idle. When the Monsters unveiled their logo prior to the season, we had a little fun with it. Tonight, too, there’ll be some prospects I haven’t seen play in Bears’ sweaters, like Daren Machesney and Patrick McNeill. And Chris Bourque is recently returned to the lineup recuperated from a concussion.

Machesney is fast becoming a real story here. He’s 11-2-1-1 with a 2.02 goals-against and am epe-popping .933 save percentage. As Caps’ goalie prospects go, I’m not sure he was on the tips of too many Caps’ fans tongues three months ago, but I wasn’t long in the Hershey press box tonight before a handful of writers and Bears’ folks brought him up to me.

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Eric Fehr played last night in Wilkes Barre but is getting tonight off. Understandable that the Bears wouldn’t want him going all three games this weekend. He’s likely to play tomorrow.

Josef Boumedienne is making his first appearance for Hershey tonight since December 1.

Stephen Werner scored his first goal of the season on a nifty shorthanded breakaway just 2:08 in. Then: the Monsters, on a Jeff Jillson tally, knot up it just seconds later.

The PA announcer may earn his stipend tonight: still not 5 minutes in, and three goals are already up on the board. 2-1 Bears on a Jason Morgan marker.

And not five minutes in, we have the evening’s first Louis Robitaille dance card, with Monster Mitch Love. A lot of prelude and prancing, but a decent tilt that I’d award the slight decision to Robitaille, though Love definitely got some un-love blows in.

It’s really enjoyable seeing two promising forward prospects — Andrew Joudrey and Andrew Gordon — skate on a line together, and at the 7:13 mark, Joudrey made a superb centering feed from the half boards that Gordon blasted home. If Hershey scores a fourth here in the first, will Monster netminder Tyler Weiman get the hook?

Speaking of getting hooked, I mean hitched, Oh My God, another marriage proposal at another hockey game! She said yes, but it took her a while. On this weekend when I’m trying to remind Mr. Leonsis of my virtues, being a bit of a Cupid karma in rinks is one, no?

16:12 into the first: Lepisto with a well-aimed, low bomb from the right point that Andrew Gordon deflected past Weiman. Weiman’s still in, but there was nothing he could do on that one. It was a superb redirect by Gordon. He’s doubled his goals on the season (4) after just one period tonight.

One uber-impressive period in the books: 4-1 Bears after one.

During the first intermission, I was invited to join Bears’ radio voice John Walton for a chat during intermission two. I wonder what he wants to talk about? Continue reading ›

Filed in American Hockey League, Bruce Boudreau, Chris Bourque, Daren Machesney, Eric Fehr, Hershey Bears, John Walton, Prospects, Sami Lepisto, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Bourque in the Globe

By Gustafsson
Monday, November 12, 2007

Yesterday’s Boston Globe included an article on Chris Bourque’s NHL’s debut last Tuesday. The NHL call-up came early enough for his parents to travel and watch the game from the stands. Chris’ famous father, Ray, had some hall-of-fame advise for his son after the game.

Chris Bourque - photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals
Chris Bourque - photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals
“He thought I played really well, and just told me to keep up the good work,” said Christopher, whose speech pattern and accent are virtually identical to his dad’s. “He just wants me to make it a hard decision for them to send me down, and, hey, obviously this is where I want to stay. I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life.”

Chis also spoke of his size.

“I feel really good at this weight, I feel quick out there,” said Bourque. “I’ve never looked at my size as something that held me back, really. I look at it as an asset. I’ve got a low center of gravity, and that makes it hard for me to get thrown off the puck. So, it’s an advantage for me - not a negative.”

Read the rest at the Boston Globe website.

Filed in Chris Bourque, Media, Print, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

Bourque Recalled

By Gustafsson
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Per John Walton’s Blog, Walton, Wired and Unwired, Chris Bourque has been recalled and should be in tonight’s lineup against Atlanta.

Filed in Atlanta Thrashers, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, John Walton, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (10)

Leafs TV? How About Caps’ TV?

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Cup'pa Joe
Cup'pa Joe
Apprised of Comcast’s commitment to the Caps this week, I turned on Comcast SportsNet the moment I arrived home from work Monday night, and left it there. What I watched over the next four hours stunned me.

I saw new Comcast Caps’ beat reporter Lisa Hillary studio host a season preview alongside Joe Reekie. I saw just about all of Alexander Ovechkin’s first-ever NHL game (I’d forgotten that he was a flubbed breakaway from a hat trick that night). Then I saw JoeB and Craig host another studio half hour, “Caps Speak,” for another team preview. Promos for Comcast’s “SportsNight” that followed promised even more Caps’ coverage.

It was “Monday Night Hockey in Washington,” of course.

Head Coach Glen Hanlon was interviewed in depth by Hillary. GMGM was thoughtfully interviewed, at length, and he provided his customary thoughtful replies. Key personnel — Chris Clark, Olie Kolzig, Tom Poti, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Nylander — all took turns before Comcast’s cameras. Tarik El Bashir’s segment with Joe and Craig I thought was a highlight of the entire night. (Tarik, true to form, offered a sober and fair assessment amid the rampant optimism engulfing the organization early this autumn. The Caps, he said, could finish anywhere “from sixth to tenth” in the Eastern conference.)

Broadcast Buzz about pro hockey in D.C. these days? Umm, yes — only if you regard all-consuming, single-topic devotion by the local sports television outlet to the city’s red-headed stepchild of pro teams “buzz”-indicating. Apparently it’s going to be like this the remainder of the week each evening on Comcast.

At one point during the prime time proceedings I saw Joe and Craig flash on the screen multiple-screen listings of Caps’ prospects. I saw the names Michal Neuvirth, Simeon Varlamov, Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, Mathieu Perreault, Francois Bouchard, Dave Steckel, and Chris Bourque, all broadcast on an outlet that never in its life held an office fantasy hockey pool. Briefly, it was like a breakout from hockeysfuture, and two DraftGeeks renting out the Comcast studio and making like Wayne and Garth on local cable access.

Wayne, er, JoeB: “Look at all this talent in the pipeline, Dude!”

Garth, er, Craig (head cocked): “Excellent!”

This is what importing one Canuck can do to an outlet!

More seriously, Hillary was hired to bring her NHL coverage experience to Comcast. The in-house hockey talent was significant, if under-appreciated and grossly under-utilized, but had the outlet ever boasted a dedicated reporter on the beat? Next I’m going to allege that coverage decisions like Comcast’s for this week haven’t occurred in a vacuum, and that they’re a harbinger of better coverage to come, print and broadcast, traditional and alternative. To an extent, it’s fashionable, of course: the Caps may not make it to the postseason this year, but they will not be dull.

But of course I’m a subscriber to the theory that a media revolution for this team and its sport is well underway these days, in these parts.

I’m also, at week’s end, when this trial run on Comcast terminates, planning on becoming a subscriber to CapsTV.

Filed in Chris Bourque, Comcast SportsNet, Craig Laughlin, Francois Bouchard, George McPhee, Glen Hanlon, Joe Beninati, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Lisa Hillary, Mathieu Perreault, Media, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Simeon Varlamov, TV, Tarik El-Bashir, Training Camp, Washington Capitals, Washington Post| Permalink| Comments (7)

Summer State of the Team - The Forwards

By OFB
Monday, July 30, 2007

Washington Captials - secondary logo
Washington Captials - secondary logo
As Training Camp slowly (so slowly) approaches, we decided to take a quick look at some of the new faces, returnees, hopefuls and last-chancers that will be vying for a spot in the Caps’ forward corps. Battles at many slots are expected, and this may be one of the most competitive camp in Caps’ history.

First, we’ll examine the forwards, a group that received an infusion of talent down the middle and added a veteran scoring winger:

Nicklas Backstrom – The youngster is seemingly a lock for the big squad. A slick-passing center with hockey sense and puck-control, the most impressive thing about his game at this point may be his attention to the other end of the ice. His awareness and positioning without the puck, coupled with his creativity and vision should be a boon to either of the Caps’ elite left wingers. Foot speed is a concern, and while he won’t arrive in North America to the same fanfare that Alex Ovechkin did, the “Next Great Swede� will have all the eyes of his country upon him.

Continue reading ›

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Andrew Gordon, Boyd Gordon, Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, Chris Bourque, Chris Clark, Dave Steckel, Donald Brashear, Matt Pettinger, Michael Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom, Players, Tomas Fleischmann, Travis Morin, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (10)

Washington Capitals Depth Chart, Summer 2007

By The OFB Team
Friday, July 20, 2007

Herewith, our attempt to devise a depth chart for the Caps to coincide with the recent completion of the team’s annual Rookie Development Camp. It’s important to note that with it we are not forecasting specific line combos but rather attempting to slot players by position according to their professional production and most recent performances in evaluative settings. It’s also important to note that a number of forwards in the Caps’ system play more than one position up front. The Russian elites and Matt Pettinger appear locks on the left side for well into the next decade, whereas the right side seems to carry many more question marks.

We’ve envisioned this as a file hopefully sparking spirited reaction and respectful challenge. We welcome your proposed modifications.

OFBs take on the Washington Capitals Depth Chart
OFBs take on the Washington Capitals Depth Chart

Filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Andrew Gordon, Boyd Gordon, Brent Johnson, Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, Chris Bourque, Chris Clark, Dave Steckel, Development Camp, Donald Brashear, Francois Bouchard, Frivolous Summer File, Hershey Bears, Joe Finley, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Matt Pettinger, Michael Nylander, Michal Neuvirth, Milan Jurcina, Nicklas Backstrom, Olaf Kolzig, Players, Prospects, Sami Lepisto, Shaone Morrisonn, Simeon Varlamov, Steve Eminger, Tom Poti, Tomas Fleischmann, Travis Morin, Viktor Kozlov, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (15)

The Don’t-Forget-About-Us Guys

By pucksandbooks
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Cup'pa Joe
Cup'pa Joe
The Nick Backstrom signing is exciting in and of itself, but it also breeds a bit of an anticipatory momentum: in this summer of change, what’s next? And what’s next may arrive sooner than you think, if you’re inclined to believe that the Caps will sit by idly and patiently await July 1’s arrival. I’ll wager a 50-lb. bag of Purina dry food for fighting dogs that they don’t.

At a minimum, the Caps need a top-line center and a top-pairing defenseman. At a minimum. Insofar as forward additions are concerned, however, General Manager George McPhee seemingly must inventory his organization’s holdings of future top-6 talent before potentially inking an expensive and name free agent to a long-term deal. Tier I UFAs at any position don’t sign one- or two-year deals, and while perhaps only Tomas Fleischmann down on the farm is primed for front-line promotion this fall, behind him, rather near-term, there are more big-minute men mere modest seasoning away. If the Caps sign one or two high-priced free agent forwards this summer, to deals keeping them in Caps’ sweaters solidly into the next decade, what happens to the team’s high-end kids? Do they all get dealt?

A big questionmark envelops right wing Eric Fehr these days. He has a wonky back, and it’s not showing much sign of improvement from treatment this spring. But assuming his recovery, there can be no denying his future fixture on one of the Caps’ top two lines. Soon.

Last weekend the Patriot News’ Tim Leone told me that Chris Bourque is a virtual lock to skate center or wing on Hershey’s top line next season. His coach told me earlier this spring that CBourque’s a future NHLer. Should that come to fruition, it won’t be on the Caps’ or anyone else’s third or fourth lines. He’s a playmaker with high-end hockey sense, and his season of rapid development now has a lot of the Caps’ brass thinking him a year away from being ready. At most.

Here are some more prospect names wholly unsuitable for third- and fourth-line duty: Francois Bouchard, the leading scorer in the Q this past season (some observers think he’s in play for a Caps’ wing spot this fall) and Mathieu Perreault, its MVP. Perreault seemingly has a good deal of physical development to pursue, and he can be stashed back in the Q this coming season and subsequently in Hershey for a couple of seasons . . . unless this Denis Savard lookalike talk has substance behind it. But Bouchard appears ready for assignment in the American League pronto, and his apprenticeship there seems likely to be of the short-term schedule.

On the day that Andrew Gordon was signed last month I asked GM McPhee about him, and he told me that Gordon would start in Hershey this fall but that there was a healthy chance he’d be an in-season callup. I’m not convinced that his ceiling as a pro is in checking line roles. His 100-plus points and All-Conference designation within college hockey’s premiere power conference certainly don’t suggest it. Lee Stempniak, a Blues’ mid-round pick who put up big numbers in the ECAC, is proof that campus lightning can strike later in the draft. We do know that Gordon left St. Cloud with more buzz than Stempniak did. Just sayin.

It’s just one opinion, but recently ESPN’s John Bucchigross gave vent to a fresh line of thinking about what could be the Caps’ primary offseason strategy. He mentioned a single trade idea, one many of us have long pined for (Patrick Marleau), and then replied to his letter writer, “If I were the Capitals . . . I would stay put, keep playing the young players and keep collecting top-10 picks. Teams make mistakes when they overpay for average players. That is death.”

The beauty of an acquisition via trade is that you inherit a much shorter contract term, affording the receiving team enviable and, seemingly in the Caps’ case, much-need flexibility.

Conventional wisdom — both within and outside the Caps’ organization — is that the team is heavy on third- and fourth-line talent both on the current parent roster and in the development pipeline. That’s the easiest assessment to make. And it may well be the most accurate. But with such an abundance of highly drafted talent, more recently combined with award-winning and all-conference earning distinctions acquired lower in the draft, I say watch out for one or two front-line breakthroughs. Soon. I’d like it to happen here.

Filed in American Hockey League, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Francois Bouchard, Mathieu Perreault, Morning cup-a-joe, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (19)

Hockey’s Best-Kept Secret Behind the Bench

By pucksandbooks
Sunday, May 20, 2007

Hershey Bears Logo
Hershey Bears Logo
Consider that this Hershey Bears’ postseason machine is missing some notable parts from its Calder Cup run of last spring: no Boyd Gordon, no captain Graham Mink, no power play QB Lawrence Nycholat, no Kris Beech, no Brooks Laich, no minutes-eating Jake Cutta. Among others. But the symphony song of victory remains the same under maestro Boudreau. A formidable Manchester Monarchs’ club was run out of the Giant Center Saturday night, 7-2. The first post-game beer among the press pack hadn’t been killed before one scribe openly wondered, “Did you guys see anything that suggests this won’t be a sweep?”

A series-opening thrashing doesn’t always foretell a team’s demise, but in this instance, Manchester has to have grave concern about the mindset of its most important player, netminder Jason LaBarbera. LaBarbera won the league’s best goaltender award this season for the second time in his AHL career, but his worst performances of the season have occurred against Hershey. He added to them Saturday night, with Head Coach Mark Morris yanking him after he surrendered his sixth goal of the contest with more than eight minutes remaining in the game. LaBarbera has faced the Bears three times this season and been yanked in two of them.

The Hershey power play Saturday night, afforded six opportunities, converted on 50 percent of them. The Bears’ penalty killers snuffed out all six Manchester man-up opportunities, and added a shortie for good measure.

Yet again Tomas Fleischmann looked sublime and spectacular, distributing savvy setups for his teammates time after time. His three helpers Saturday night gave him eight points in his last two games, both of them big games for his hockey club. Officially, the game’s three stars were awarded to Dave Steckel, Mike Green, and Frederic Cassivi, but Mike Vogel and I had identical standout designee lists of Steckel, Flash, and Chris Bourque. Bourque had been named the no. 1 star in each of the regular season meetings with Manchester, and he added another strong performance (two assists) Saturday.

The point is that Boudreau this postseason is getting quality and production from all four of his forward lines, and efficient puck movement from all three of his defensive pairs.

Early in the third period Saturday night Comcast’s Joe Reekie leaned over to me and said, “Do you realize how far Chris Bourque has progressed in one year?” I do. And I should have told Joe that Dave Steckel’s progression the last two seasons under Boudreau has been even more impressive. And the list of the well developed under Boudreau hardly ends there.

Vogel and I were left slack-jawed a half dozen times Saturday night by the stick wizardry of Fleischmann. He’s going to play in the NHL, somewhere, we agreed. “He’s got the stuff you can’t teach,” Vogel told me. But I worry about Flash getting lost in the grand numbers game in D.C., particularly as we approach the high stakes ‘07-08 season and there’s seemingly less room for young guy minutes during the drive for spot no. 8 in the East. “I worry about us giving up on Flash and seeing another [Andrew] Brunnette slip out of our hands,” I told Vogel.

Many of the names on the back of the Bears’ sweaters change, but the postseason results remain the same. Should the Bears go on to oust Manchester, they will tie an AHL record in winning seven consecutive postseason series. Since Boudreau stepped behind the Bears’ bench they’ve lost just one series-opening game, to Milwaukee in last season’s Calder finals. They’ve played 32 postseason games overall under his direction, and they’ve won an astounding 25 of them. More amazingly, only four of the team’s seven postseason losses have come in regulation. I need to type that again for myself to believe it: four regulation losses in 32 playoff games over two seasons.

And many of those games have been contested against 100-pt. AHL foes.

Seemingly sixty guys have worn Bears’ sweaters this season as a regular rotation of callups and significant injuries ravaged the Hershey roster. No matter. Wins and line cohesion remained.

Boudreau has been named Coach of the Year in the IHL, he’s won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup, and he’s won a Calder Cup and may be on the verge of adding another. You have to wonder how much longer his extraordinary winning ways will last unnoticed by the NHL.

The East finals are being contested in a 2-3-2 slate, making Sunday’s quick turnaround rematch a must-win affair for the visitors. Mark Morris needs a Jason LaBarbera we haven’t seen against Hershey yet this season. And meaning no disrespect to the coach, but a lot of folks up in New Hampshire who witnessed first-hand Bruce Boudreau’s work there over four seasons would this morning probably tell you that having him back would help too.

Filed in American Hockey League, Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Bruce Boudreau, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Joe Reekie, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (4)

Bears Back in Control: Hershey 6, Albany 5

By The OFB Team
Sunday, April 22, 2007

Who would have guessed that in a 6-5 game Alexandre Giroux would have been held off the scoresheet? Jacub Klepis, however, was not — he had three helpers tonight. Chris Bourque skated a +3 on the evening. The Bears, who now own a 2-1 lead in the series, overcame Albany’s 43-24 advantage in shots.

Game 4 is Monday night.

2 Point Toast
2 Point Toast

Filed in American Hockey, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Huge Weekend for the Hershey Bears

By pucksandbooks
Friday, April 13, 2007

Hershey Bears Logo
Hershey Bears Logo
This is an extraordinary weekend for the Hershey Bears. Here’s the lowdown:

  • They defeat Wilkes Barre Friday night on the road, either in regulation or overtime, and they win the American League’s East Division and they secure the best overall record in the entire American Hockey League. In other words, home ice advantage all the way through the postseason. Last year, the Bears won the Calder Cup on the road in Milwaukee; I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t much mind seeing that title secured in the Giant Center this spring, with Caps’ management and legions of D.C. puckheads in the chocolate house.
  • Friday’s is the first game of another three-game weekend, this being the final weekend of play in the American League’s regular season. The Bears do need points this weekend, and they’ll have to earn them on the road. They visit Binghamton Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.
  • Months ago conventional wisdom was that whoever emerged from the East in the playoffs would have a strong chance at the Calder Cup. Why? Well, Wilkes Barre already has 50 wins on the season. Hershey, with 49, is almost certain to arrive at it. Norfolk has 48. It’s entirely possible that for the first time in the history of the American League three teams in the same division win 50 games. Get out of the East Division this postseason and the rest almost seems like boat drinks with bikinied deckhands.
  • The Bears won’t lack for quality or depth this weekend. Or this postseason. Assigned to them since the Caps completed their season last weekend: Mike Green, Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, and Dave Steckel. Jeff Schultz joined Hershey the previous week. Can you say stacked?
  • Both Dave Steckel and Chris Bourque are lodged at 58 points and have legtimate shots at 60-pt. seasons. Way back in October I had a chat with an OFB friend with a pro scouting background who had this to say of CBourque: “I’d keep an eye on Chris Bourque. Remember, he played prep school hockey and one year for a bad BU team. Last year was his first true exposure to pro style hockey. Now that he’s had a taste and knows how to prepare, I expect him to have a big jump in production.” Steckel’s next goal will be his 30th on the campaign. He is an eye-popping +25 for Coach Boudreau.
  • Bears’ management hasn’t been shy about getting games for recent Caps’ signees. Steve Pinizzotto has three games under his belt, Sean Collins has two games and is a +1, and Andrew Joudrey has perhaps made the most conspicuous debut among the NCAA arrivals, with a goal and an assist in three games while skating a +2. Andrew Gordon may arrive in a few weeks to bolster further one of the league’s most lethal attacks, too.
Filed in American Hockey League, Andrew Gordon, Chris Bourque, Dave Steckel, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (2)

A View from the AHL’s Cheap Seats

By pucksandbooks
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

giant_center-02.jpgAt Saturday’s end-of-season Clyde’s gathering of bloggers and their loyalists, we learned from Blogger Rebecca of A View from the Cheap Seats of her plan to drive up to Hershey on Sunday for the Bears’ game. Likely she was going to pen an account of this visit for her blog anyway, but when we asked if she’d mind serving as a correspondent for us as well (We’ve been out drinking with JP before on a Saturday night — we don’t do road trips the day after that), she enthusiastically said absolutely. What she’s authored today is a detailed narrative of a fabulous culmination to perhaps the Bears’ best weekend of the season: six points capped off by a Sunday night snuffing out of Wilkes Barre-Scranton.

Rebecca wasn’t quite prepared for Hershey’s outpuring of Bears’ love, which clogs the routes into the Giant Center, adorns the bumpers of many Pennsylavania automobiles, and fuels the fashion sense of scores of Bears’ faithful.

“I started spotting people in the cars around us clad entirely in Bears’ gear. I don’t really know why we were so excited by that – maybe it’s just the sight of people who actually love hockey, something so rare in this football-mad area. Walking through the parking lot towards Giant Center we passed cars with Hershey Bears vanity plates and bumper stickers, families dressed in matching Hershey jerseys, kids waving foam bear claws excitedly, all hoping for a Bears victory to cap off their weekend.”

We’ve reported on the breakthrough seasons of Dave Steckel and Chris Bourque here at OFB, but Rebecca puts a fantastic exclamation point on those accounts with her eyewitness one from Sunday. If you’re harboring any notions of a trek northward this spring to see some outstanding American Hockey League action, in the awesome atmosphere of the Giant Center, give Rebecca’s recap a read as further inducement.

Filed in American Hockey League, Chris Bourque, Dave Steckel, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (4)

Playing Oversized

By pucksandbooks
Sunday, April 1, 2007

cbourque.jpgFriday night on the road in Wilkes Barre-Scranton, with the baby Penguins hot on their heels, just two points back of them in the Eastern division, the Hershey Bears skated a statement game, shutting out their hosts 3-0 behind yet another Frederick Cassivi classic. Chris Bourque knocked Wilkes Barre netminder Nolan Schaefer out of the game with a blast shot to the mask that bloodied the goalie’s nose.

Saturday night, back at the Giant Center, CBourque added a hat trick and four points in leading the Bears to a huge 6-5 win over Bridgeport. With Norfolk losing at Albany, the Bears once again gained control of first place in the East. The victory was the Bears’ seventh straight, their longest win-streak of the season. They have 104 points on the season, with eight games still remaining.

Last season, in his first full tour of duty in the A, Bourque had 8 goals and 28 assists and was largely a healthy, non-playing witness to the Bears’ Calder Cup postseason run. This season, through 62 games, he has 23 goals and 28 assists, and he’ll play a lead role in the Bears’ postseason run this time around.

Filed in American Hockey League, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (1)

Bears Surge into First Place in the East

By pucksandbooks
Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hershey Bears Logo
Hershey Bears Logo
With its victory over Springfield 4-2 at the Giant Center last night, the Hershey Bears tied Norfolk with 96 points and grabbed a share of first place in the AHL’s East division. Norfolk and Hershey are also tied for the most points in the American League. The win also clinched a playoff berth for the Bears.

Chris Bourque became the seventh Bear to score 20 goals on the season.

The Bears have a game in hand with Nolfolk as well.

Note that Philadelphia puck suckitude is enjoyed by both parent and farm club.

  1. Hershey 68 42 14 6 6 96 pts. 0.706 261 195 7-1-1-1
  2. Norfolk 69 45 18 5 1 96 pts. 0.696 262 219 6-3-1-0
  3. Wilkes-Barre 67 43 18 2 4 92 pts. 0.687 237 189 7-3-0-0
  4. Albany 67 32 30 3 2 69 pts. 0.515 200 210 5-4-1-0
  5. Bridgeport 66 31 29 1 5 68 pts. 0.515 194 216 3-6-0-1
  6. Philadelphia 68 27 33 2 6 62 pts. 0.456 189 228 5-4-0-1
  7. Binghamton 67 19 40 3 5 46 pts. 0.343 190 264 2-7-1-0

More from the Farm: Travis Morin, playing in his first professional hockey game, scored a third-period, game-winning goal this past Sunday to give the South Carolina Stingrays a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Pensacola Ice Pilots.

Filed in American Hockey League, Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears, Prospects, Travis Morin, Washington Capitals| Permalink| Comments (0)